Coastal Bend Blood Center running low on type O blood

The Coastal Bend Blood Center is the sole provider of blood supply. They serve over 22 medical facilities and 10 counties.

Ashley Ramirez with the CBBC said 30% of their blood donations come from high school students and they always see a decrease during the summertime.

She said currently they are in need of all blood type donations but especially blood type O.

"It is extremely vital that we obtain at least 100+ blood donations on a daily basis and unfortunately we haven't seen that," Ramirez said."We are in that critical need of blood type O and being that it is the most commonly used blood type."

Ramirez added that O negative is the universal blood type it can be transferred to any blood type.

"O positive blood can only go to positive and A only to A and B to B, all the blood types can only go to each other," she said.

Since the high school students are in summer Ramirez said they usually see a decline in donations and an increase in the need of blood.

"We are definitely are on a setback hence why we are in that critical state," she said.

The Coastal Bend Blood Center's blood is used for preganancy complications, anemia, trauma and cancer patients. According to the blood center type O shares 45% blood with the population.

According to the Red Cross, only 7% of the population has type O negative blood and 38% has type O positive. Both of those types are urgently needed to continue to help save lives.

Ramirez encourages everyone to donate blood and to stay consistent because someone is always in need.

"If you are healthy enough to do it, let’s do it and let’s do it consistently because that’s what’s gonna be the game changer for your local Blood Center and especially the patients in our hospitals are counting on life-saving blood," Ramirez said.

For information on how you can donate c lick here.

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